Google Teams Structured to Innovate and Motivate

If you haven’t yet checked out re:Work, Google’s HR blog, I highly recommend it.  This particular post focuses on what they have identified as the 5 keys to successful teams. They found that who is on the team is far less important to success than 5 key traits.

By far the most important trait is that team members feel free to take risks. This is interesting since that trait is also associated with teams and companies that are successful innovators (in case you’ve been living under a rock, innovation is something Google is known for).

Two of the other team traits that Google identified are tied closely to what Daniel Pink calls Purpose, a strong motivation factor. These are doing personally meaningful work, and doing work that has an impact and creates change.

Having discovered this, Google isn’t resting on it’s laurels. It has created a tool to allow teams to measure where they stand on these traits, and have devoted development resources to helping teams improve.

I love this as an example of strategic HR. Analyzing data to create programs that reinforce the desired culture and strategies!